---------
Home Remedies Kidney Stones Types

Types of Kidney Stones

There are four different types of kidney stones. All of them are caused by one or more chemical compounds which cant get easily flushed through the urine and buildup in the kidney. It is important to know the type to get suitable treatment as the treatment for one type may not work for the other type.

Following are the details of different types of kidney stones:

 

 

1- Calcium Stones

These are the most common types of Kidney stones.  These are formed due to excess calcium in the body. When the calcium in the body exceeds the requirements by different parts of the bod, the excess calcium usually passes out through the urine. However some times this calcium may begin to build up in the kidneys and couples with other body wastes to form stones. They can be spiky or smooth, small or large. Generally they are made up of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate.

Excess vitamin D levels in the body or an overactive parathyroid gland are the main reasons for this build up. Other reason for calcium build up in the kidney are certain types of cancers, sarcoidosis and some kinds of kidney diseases.

2- Uric Acid Stones

Certain food excrete  more uric acid after digestion than others. This excess uric acid may not get dissolved and flushed out with urine thus causing stones. Eating excess meat and certain medication for gout and cancer are the main causes of this type of kidney stone. Men are more affected by this as compared to women. These stones are smooth, soft and brown in color.

3- Struvite stones

These are rare but more common in women.  They are large and horn like shape. They are caused by presence of too much of ammonia in the urine. Bacteria that causes Urinary Tract Infection(UTI) produces excess ammonia.

4- Cystine stones.

Cystine stones are yellow and crystalline and are quite rare. They usually are formed early in the life  between the ages of 10 and 30. Only 1% of the kidney stones are Cystine stones. A heredity condition called cystinuria which produces very high levels of Cystine, is responsible for these stones. Cystine which is one of the building blocks of protein, does not dissolve well in urine.

Different types pf kidney stones will require different types of treatment, therefore it is important to know the type pf kidney stone you have for suitable cure.

Find out more about causes, symptoms and home remedies for kidney stones in the other related articles:

Other related articles